1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved photographic apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for making simultaneous exposures on separate image recording media. Although the invention has particular utility for portrait photography, it can also be used in substantially all aspects of both professional and amateur photography.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The normal procedure in portrait photography involves photographing a subject in several different poses on a film from which contact prints are subsequently made on photosensitized paper. The contact prints serve as proofs from which a customer may select the desired pose or poses which can then be reproduced on more permanent photographic paper. This procedure is relatively time-consuming, expensive and does not indicate the results of the photography until a time subsequent to the actual taking of the pictures. During this period of time, the customer may decide against accepting the pictures or the customer may be unavailable, resulting in a loss to the photographer. Moreover, care must be taken to properly identify the proofs relative to the negatives so that the poses selected by the customer can be easily identified for purposes of printing the final portrait.
It has been suggested that two cameras can be employed to rectify the aforesaid problem; one of the cameras would provide an instant positive print by well known techniques and the other camera would retain a more permanent record, usually on negative film. Such systems have not been accepted commercially for a number of reasons. First, two separate cameras disposed in adjacent relation do not receive identical images because of parallax distortion. The proof, therefore, does not encompass the same field of view as would the final product. Of course, this can be circumvented by exposing a larger field of view for both cameras than is actually required for the final product and then cropping as necessary; however, this approach requires additional enlargement for the final product with corresponding loss of image quality. Second, prior art attempts to employ two cameras in adjacent relation have not adequately solved the multi-fold problem of synchronizing shutter actuation time, synchronizing shutter actuation speed, synchronizing the focus control on both cameras, and synchronizing the diaphragm aperture control on both cameras. Third, the photographer is left with a difficult task in matching the proofs to the negatives.
Another approach to providing instant proofs for a portrait photographer is found in each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,153,229 (Ives), 2,018,891 (Kean), 2,921,509 (Freund), 3,608,456 (Hauser), and 3,643,570 (Reid et al). Each of these patents discloses a single camera housing in which light from a single exposure lens is split by means of a light beamsplitter and directed to two separate films within the single housing. It is well known, however, that light energy reflected from and passing through a beamsplitter is attenuated to a considerable degree. The resulting attentuation is, in many instances, unacceptable for professional and high standard amateur photography.
Another approach to the problem may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,478,301 (Mourfield) and 2,565,618 (Mourfield). Mourfield discloses a single housing arrangement with separate lenses and separate paths for the light energy to individual film planes. The two lenses are arranged concentrically about two spaced parallel optical axes. This arrangement results in parallax distortion whereby the image projected onto one film plane is not precisely that which is projected onto the other film plane, particularly in close-up photography situations. Mourfield discloses a technique for interrelating the prints from one film with the negatives of the other by means of a mechanical notching arrangement. Specifically, the films are notched in a manner to cross-identify the proof and negative of the separate films. This arrangement is relatively mechanically complex and is subject to failure due to wear and tear.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,842 (Albrecht), a conventional twin lens reflex camera is modified to permit the upper or viewing chamber to also be used for picture-taking purposes with a separate film therein. Again, the two lenses are arranged in a manner which provides parallax distortion for which no correction is suggested in the Albrecht patent. In addition, Albrecht does not provide for identifying the prints and negatives so that they can be correlated with one another.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,863 (Stewart et al), there is disclosed an identification card camera wherein two separate lenses are provided in a single housing, each lens being arranged to project an image onto its own separate film plane. There is no attempt made to correct for parallax distortion. Stewart et al discloses the provision of identification data on the exposed images; however, this identification data is received through a separate data lens and projected onto the film planes from outside the camera housing.
Another prior art approach of interest is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,685 (Cummins) wherein a single camera housing is provided with six separate lenses. Each lens projects its image onto a respective area of a single film. This camera is employed for portrait purposes by setting each of the lenses to different exposures so that an instant proof with six exposures at different light settings may be obtained. This permits the photographer to determine the proper exposure setting and then use the selected exposure setting to take a second picture.
It should be noted that the single housing approach to obtaining simultaneous exposures on separate films, apart from the disadvantages noted above, suffers from the problem of requiring optical isolation between the light paths to the separate films. Often this isolation is not complete, resulting in inadvertent exposure between the separate image paths. Moreover, in order to provide the necessary optical isolation, light blocking structure must be carefully designed and installed within the camera housing, thereby considerably adding to the camera cost.